Security scaled down at Karmapa monastery
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, January 5
With the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, being out of India since May 2017, the Himachal Pradesh Police has scaled down security at his Karma Kagyu sect monastery at Sidhbari in Dharamsala. The HP Police was providing a security cover of eight cops at the monastery. However, it has withdrawn four cops and just four are posted there now.
Kangra SP Santosh Patial said since the Karmapa was not there for the past more than one and half years, keeping security at the place was wastage of manpower. “So I had written to the higher authorities that the security at the monastery be reduced from eight to four personnel,” he said.
The Karmapa had arrived at Dharamsala on January 5, 2000, after his dramatic escape from Tibet. He was kept under strict surveillance by the Indian authorities and his movements were restricted. Despite his recognition by the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa could move outside his monastery in Sidhbari area of Dharamsala only after permission from security agencies. Even the people who wanted to meet him were scrutinised by security agencies. It was only in the recent past that the Karmapa was allowed to move to various parts of the country, except the Rumtek monastery in Sikkim.
Many of the Tibetans blame the strict restrictions put on the Karmapa by the Indian Government for his extended stay outside India. However, since he was the tallest Tibetan spiritual leader besides the Dalai Lama outside Tibet, all of them want him to return to India.
The Karmapa has now taken up citizenship of Dominica, a Caribbean island nation. The Indian Government has also hardened its stance against the Karmapa after he allegedly failed to fulfill his commitment of returning back to the country. The India Government, in the recent past, had maintained that it had never recognised Ogyen Trinley Dorje as the 17th Karmapa.
With the Indian Government hardening its stance against the Karmapa, the chances of him returning back to the country in the near future have turned bleak.
Sources said the Karmapa’s move of staying outside India was managed by his sister. He even kept his teachers from Karma Kagya lineage in dark about his intentions to take up the citizenship of Dominica.
Indian Govt had restricted his movement
- The Karmapa (in pic) had arrived at Dharamsala on January 5, 2000, after his dramatic escape from Tibet
- He was kept under strict surveillance by the Indian authorities and his movements were restricted. It was only in the recent past that the Karmapa was allowed to move to various parts of the country, except the Rumtek monastery in Sikkim
- Many of the Tibetans blame the strict restrictions put on the Karmapa by the Indian Government for his extended stay outside India
- The Karmapa has now taken up citizenship of Dominica, a Caribbean island nation
